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It is now over half way through January and most of us will be struggling with the detox that we always promise ourselves after the festive season!

At the start of January, I decided to cut out all refined sugary items/bakery items/wheat/gluten/dairy as I spent a lot of last year feeling constantly bloated and uncomfortable. I have a big sweet tooth so it was hard to resist the cravings but I managed and have to say that changing my diet has made a massive difference. My stomach is much flatter, I no longer get bloated, I have more energy and my skin looks a lot clearer so I am definitely going to try to stick to this healthy new lifestyle as much as possible!

I thought I would share some of tips and tricks to help anyone in a similar situation, so here goes:

– Make yourself a ‘thinspiration’ board with inspirational pictures; this could be a skinnier version of you from the past, fitness models or healthy food ideas. You can visit my board here

– Try and start the day well, such as eating a good breakfast or taking the stairs instead of the lift, as this will either encourage you to carry on throughout the day or will make you feel less guilty later on

– Drink peppermint tea after meals to aid digestion and to reduce any bloating

– Swap honey for agave syrup, as it is less refined.

– Use soya or almond milk instead of regular milk as it has less hormones in it

– Try and include protein at every meal as it helps keep you fuller for longer. I always include pumpkin seeds in my porridge in the mornings, have chicken/tuna for lunch and eggs for dinner

Pumpkin seeds

Smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and spinach is a healthy, filling tea

– Use a service like My Fitness Pal to monitor your daily food intake and exercise – this is very precise as it has nearly all brands/food outlets so that you can be as specific as possible. It measures fat, protein and carbohydrates as well as calories.

– If you are craving chocolate, try eating figs or something with cinammon in. My housemate also showed me how to make a healthy sweet dish which doesn’t look the most appealing but tastes really good! All you need is mixed fruits and nuts, tahini paste, agave syrup (or honey), flaxseed cocoa & berries and optional dessicated coconut. Steps are below:

Agave syrup, flax cocoa berries, mixed fruits and nuts, tahini paste

Chop the fruit and nuts finely until they look something like this

Add into the bowl with the flaxseed cocoa, then drizzle over agave syrup

Add in a couple of dollops of tahini paste

Sprinkle over dessicated coconut and hey presto! You can also roll these into balls if you prefer